Outdoor theater, north edge of Denver 1973 - 1974

This photograph of an outdoor theater on the north edge of Denver was taken by Robert Adams. It’s kind of a bleak scene, isn’t it? But it’s also got this quiet dignity. I imagine Adams, standing there, watching the light, waiting for the right moment to capture the scene. The stark white screen of the drive-in looms in the middle ground, a blank slate against the backdrop of the distant hills. The sky is empty, no clouds to be seen, just a flat expanse of grey that makes the scene feel even more empty. The foreground is all mess and disarray, trash and forgotten objects scattered across the dirt. But even in the middle of this neglect, there's something beautiful, something worth looking at. You can imagine all the people who must have gathered here to watch movies under the stars, but now it’s just a scene of abandonment. But there's something about the composition, the way the different elements come together, that feels very intentional. Like Adams is saying, “Look, this is what the world looks like, even in the middle of nowhere.” And maybe that’s why I find it so moving.